Real Deal

By the way...is it safe to say that Paul Pierce is due for a big game? He has been pretty bad in this series so far, can't really say he has had a good game yet. I'm waiting for just one game of 25+ on a good shooting percentage. Funny part is, Pierce hasn't scored over 25 in any of these playoff games, minus Game 2 against Atlanta, where he just went ballistic...so I don't know.

BEFORE they win their first championship (because it's much more difficult to stick your neck out there at this time), do you think the Thunder can be the next dynasty in the NBA? Durant - 23 years old Westbrook - 23 years old Harden - 22 years old Ibaka - 22 years old Duncan won his first NBA championship at 23 years old. Manu was 25, and I believe Parker was 20 or 21. Just putting it out there.

Don't take this the wrong way, but you're banned for not being good enough for our basketball discussion. Real talk, don't create a topic like this, then run to your primary message board, posting the link and laughing about it. Some of the guys you post with over there will end up telling me (like they did). They also told me you were quite the forum comedian, and that you're more of a joke account than a dedicated member and knowledgeable basketball poster. We're a little different. We like basketball knowledge, over anything else. Sorry.

Is it? I have no idea. I remember someone saying that it was just some generic shirt when LeBron was wearing it, but I wouldn't be surprised if Nike just made it into a shirt because of that.

Lillard can be a pretty damn good player. Kind of sad that T-Rob didn't participate, and also some others (like Davis, MKG and Barnes, like BFT noted), so I was switching back and forth between this and First Take until I had to come into the other room (NBATV only in the living room, pfffffft).

OMFG...here we go: http://a.yfrog.com/img878/8880/jxrte.jpg http://bossip.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/57433ex_james_b-gr_011.jpg

Miami has to score big and hit their jumpers to win this game. When they score 105+ points, they are 24-2...and they are also 31-2 when they shoot 47.5% or better. Of course, it makes sense when you score a lot of points, shoot well, and win games...but with a team like Miami, who plays excellent defense, those numbers (and especially the record) stand out so much because they nearly dominate teams by doing so. Just for kicks...some more fun numbers: The Heat are 9-0 when they attempt 10 threes or less, but 7-0 when they make 10 threes or more...with an 11-1 record when they shoot 50% or better from downtown. Miami is 24-4 when making 22+ free throws, and only 5-9 when attempting 17 FT's or less in a game. Role players have to step up and hit open threes, and both Wade and James have to get to the line. Boston is an inconsistent offensive team, so even if Garnett and Rondo get theirs, Miami can put this team away if they can get help from more than just two guys AND get to the line.

TIME: 8:30 PM ET TV: ESPN

Iguodala, easily. I didn't give that one much thought, actually. His defense is far too valuable to pass on (especially for Rudy Gay), and he actually creates for his teammates pretty well, also. I've never been that big of a fan of Rudy to begin with, but all bias aside, I would take Iggy.

It's crazy thinking just how many free throws would be handed out in a Thunder/Heat Finals series... Thought it would be fun to show you this exciting gem, from 1990 (I actually watched this game, because I was a huge Suns fan, even before Barkley was traded to Phoenix). http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199004090PHO.html Just take a look.

TIME: 9:00 PM ET TV: TNT

Sorry for not creating the topic, guys...had to take my girl to a specialist for her tonsils this afternoon, and we spent the entire day there. Thanks Reiiiiid.

Well, he had three close in to stop any chance at a drive, but I have no idea why he just didn't go left BEFORE driving right. Four Celtics were on the right side of the court (before Haslem and Chalmers moved), and he had the entire left to himself. That almost leads me to believe the play was drawn up for Haslem...but in a last-second situation like that, I expect LeBron to ditch it and take the left side of the court, one-on-one, with whoever is stuck on him. People always bring up his shooting percentages in clutch moments, but it's higher than normal due to him not accepting those moments as his. I know Wade can do his share in the clutch, but he doesn't deserve it at this point. LeBron has carried the Heat on his back...maybe not every single half of this series, but most of it, and when Wade is starting games off shooting 1-11 (or whatever), and playing so-so defense, not creating for his teammates, it's LeBron who is picking up his slack and playing multiple positions. Kobe is known as arguably the most clutch player in NBA history, based on the amount of game-winners he has hit (leads everyone, including MJ) and how he hits them, over multiple defenders and what-not. He has missed a ton of them, too...but nobody remembers the misses. Can anyone name me ONE miss Jordan had to end a game? I doubt it...years later, all of that is forgotten. It will take a lot of misses for me to start beating up on LeBron for being unclutch. However, I won't hesitate when he's passing up shots that he should be taking, or match-ups he should be exposing, because that's more about the fear of missing and basically "ruining" the game that he had. Short-term memory, everyone does remember those late-game misses...but again, years from now, they won't, unless it's from a Game 7 in a series loss (or something of that magnitude).

TIME: 9:00 PM ET TV: TNT

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/8005896/2012-nba-playoffs-chris-bosh-miami-heat-return-game-5-according-sources I'm honestly not sure if this is a good idea. While I think a healthy Bosh helps them significantly, I doubt he's going to be 100%...and at this point, it almost feels like Haslem is a better choice. Bosh is going to take shots away from LeBron, he's not going to be able to defend KG (especially if he's hurt), and even then, he's not the defensive player Haslem is, anyway, and the Heat just allowed Boston to drop 61 in the first half of the game last night. For me, I don't know...I'm on the fence. The Heat cannot beat the Spurs or Thunder without Bosh, and if they bring him back early and lose him again, that's it...even if they roll past Boston, who has them figured out. Boston struggles to maintain leads because of their foul trouble and their fatigue, something the Spurs and Thunder won't have trouble with, at all...so with two homes games left (of the three), wouldn't it be smarter to see how Game 5 goes before trying to bring Bosh back?

LeBron should have had five fouls (not six), but not because of the sixth. He was robbed on the double foul. The final one was legit, though, because he locked Pietrus' hand inside of his jersey, had it pulled in much like Garnett did Bron's earlier, and it caused Pietrus' legs to bend and his weight to shift, which stopped his backwards motion and caused him to fall (well, caused LeBron to collide into him). Battier flopped on that Pierce foul. I wouldn't have called it. Battier acted like he was 60 pounds. So, altogether, both Bron and Pierce should have been in this game. ---------- People are going to say that Bron made a good decision passing the ball to Haslem, but I still think he should have shot it (given he wasn't going to drive to the rim, but away from it, for some stupid reason). When Miami cleared an entire side for LeBron, he should have went left, done SOMETHING (whatever he wanted, before the defense recovered), and just went up with it...at the rim or taking the shot. I didn't criticize him for missing that shot the other night (in the 4th, to win the game). He should have taken the drive on Rondo, but then again, he still got his shot off on the smaller defender, elevated high enough to get it off clean, and a good look at that. By the way, Wade may have done his damage later, but these pathetic first halves he's playing are killing the Heat.

Rondo is scary good.

TIME: 8:30 PM ET TV: ESPN

TIME: 8:30 PM ET TV: TNT

Well... So if they have to explain, could it be a jersey switch? Either way, that's just weird. I would laugh if Thomas Robinson obliterated everyone in pre-draft workouts, even Davis, and the Hornets ended up trading their pick to the Orlando Magic for Dwight.

Well, for me, conference titles don't mean anything. If you were to tell me the Lakers won the WCF and went on to get swept in the Finals, I'd be disappointed as hell, and would throw our season out the window as if we lost in the first round. When you have future HOF'ers, superstars and all-stars on the team...it's always championship or bust. Boston is still there, despite their age, so anything less would be a failed season. Teams that rarely get that far...that's a different story, because they see a conference championship as progress, with the door slightly open to win it all in the following seasons. If Toronto landed in the NBA Finals, the fans would go ballistic just to see them in it, with hopes that they can add one or two pieces to be champs the following season. At this point, Boston's conference and division titles are irrelevant. We just don't want them to win it all.

This is probably the answer, although Durant is closing in. Right now, while LeBron has taken over as the best player in the NBA, that doesn't necessarily make him the face. He's not exactly trying to play the villain role anymore, but the media still has him in it from time to time, and the guy is too hated outside of Miami to really be considered. The hate for Kobe has died down, by miles. People still want LA to fail, bad, but I've seen a lot of guys (here and on other sites, and in the media) that respect Kobe far more than I had ever thought they would. It's like the Spurs...I hate them, but I have nothing bad to say about Tim Duncan, who I think should be talked about more than he has over the years.

I'm not even sure if he even likes basketball...just seems to want to root for any team that he can get involved with. Dude was a hardcore Hornets fan one day, turned around and wrote a song about Kobe and how much he loved the Lakers the next. Then you'd see him at a Heat game, rooting for them, and then over in LA for the Clippers. Now he wanted to go to a Thunder game and sit in the front row, probably wearing a KD jersey or something, and because he didn't get to, he's screaming, "Go Spurs." I'm sick of him, really. His music sucks now, he dresses like he's confused as to what sex he is, and he's becoming less relevant each day.

Gotta be fake. Date on the mag is August 2012. I don't see why they would show the cover for that on the first of June.

TIME: 8:30 PM ET TV: ESPN